Lanzarote is an island with reasonable distances and very well-connected by road. Therefore, a road trip is great way to get to know it and enjoy its landscapes full of contrasts by car or motorcycle.
Below you can find five road routes that will take you through viewpoints over 400 meters high, volcanoes, black and white sand beaches and charming villages.
1. Monumento al Campesino - La Geria
The starting point will be Monumento del Campesino, a work by César Manrique dedicated to the peasants of Lanzarote, located in San Bartolomé. Then, we will continue along the LZ-30 towards La Florida area, passing through Masdache until we reach La Geria. If you have time, you can always make a little stop to see El Cuervo Volcano, just outside Masdache.
Once in La Geria, you will be able to see a protected natural area of more than 5,000 hectares, where vines grow in holes excavated in the volcanic ash that protect the vines from the wind with semicircular stone walls.
You can taste all kinds of wine in the different wineries you will find, as well as enjoy a sunset among palm trees, volcanoes and vineyards that extend to the town of Uga, in the municipality of Yaiza. The route comprises about 15.7 kilometers, and it takes about 20 minutes to do it without stops.
2. Yaiza - Janubio Salt Flats
In the south you can also do a very impressive volcanic route, where you will see reddish rocks that contrast with the blue of the sea and the black of the sand, among other impressive colours.
The journey begins in the town of Yaiza and lasts about 35 minutes on average, not counting the stops to take photos, that is, about 26 kilometers in total. The first thing is to take the LZ-704 road, bordering the Timanfaya National Park, to the fishing village of El Golfo.
There you can make a quick stop to go to its viewpoint and observe its incredible black beach and the famous Los Clicos big seawater puddle, better known as Green Lake, which takes this colour from the algae found at its bottom.
Then, following the LZ-703, you will pass through the Montaña Bermeja area, in front of a black sand beach of the same name, a landscape taken from planet Mars, until you reach Los Hervideros, some volcanic cliffs where the waves hit with strength, generating a sound similar to boiling water.
If you have time, you can also go around the area to get to las Salinas de Janubio, where you can appreciate the island's salt flats, full of colours and numerous protected birds.
3. From Órzola - Mirador del Río
In the north of the island there are also numerous road routes, many of them with breathtaking views, such as the one that goes from the fishing village of Órzola to Mirador del Río, a work by the Lanzarote artist César Manrique camouflaged in the Risco de Famara at more than 400 meters high.
After leaving Órzola, you will have to take the LZ-203 road passing through Las Hoyas until you reach a junction with the LZ-201, where you will have to turn right to continue towards the Ye shrine, from where you will have unbeatable views of the La Corona Volcano and, if you continue on the road, you will reach Mirador del Río.
In total, it takes about 20 minutes to cover the 10.6 kilometers of the route, although you should keep in mind that it is a steep climb and, in some cases, with the occasional winding road.
4. Mirador del Río - Caletón Blanco
This route is a good alternative for returning from Mirador del Río if you want to return to the north of the island. It only takes about 25 minutes on the road, which is about 18.5 kilometers and a great difference in altitude, up to 400 meters.
The route begins by going down through the little town of Ye, along the LZ-201, until it reaches the junction with the LZ-204. Once there, turn left, you will pass by Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua, two of the most spectacular tourist places in Lanzarote.
Then you will have to continue along the LZ-1 heading north, passing through a layer of volcanic lava of a very dark colour that contrasts with the blue of the sea, until you reach Caletón Blanco, the beach with the whitest sand on the island, a paradise to spend the day.
5. Villa of Teguise - Haría viewpoint
This route is ideal to do at sunset and thus take advantage of the views from its viewpoints. It is a journey of about 35 minutes on average that covers 17.2 kilometers.
It begins at the picturesque town of Teguise, from where you will depart along the LZ-10 towards Los Valles area, where you can taste typical Canarian food in its famous teleclub. Then continue to the viewpoint of the shrine of Las Nieves, with unbeatable views of the Risco and Famara beach, which if you visit in spring will seem like a scene taken from Jurassic Park.
Later we continue on the road until we reach the Bosquecillo viewpoint. It is important to mention that here you have to take a secondary dirt road with the occasional pothole, so it is important to go slowly. Once there, you can look out, always carefully, on its large balcony that overlooks the Risco, or the opposite side, with the Chinijo Archipelago in the background.
The area also has a picnic area and a playground for the little ones. Once the visit is over, we will return along the same dirt road until joining the main road. You should head then to the left until you immediately come across the Mirador de Haría.
